Fiction in Translation

Here at Foyles we're big fans of translated literature—and there's never been a better time to discover the world of international writing. Critical and commercial attention has never been higher, with a focus not just on the author and book, but the art of the translator too. And in an increasingly connected world, we all benefit from reading other lives, other worlds—well, suffice to say it's a big part of our modus operandi, our raison d’être.

Keiko can be strange. A litany of incidents as a small child sets her apart from most of her friends and fills her with anxiousness. When she grows up, she stumbles into a job working in a convenience store... and she has been there ever since. Finding comfort in the mundane, the perpetuity of the day to day and always being the model employee bring much joy to her heart. But is this enough? Friends and family worry and feel shamed by her, some suggesting marriage maybe the answer, and escape. Question is, does Keiko want to escape and could she survive if she did?

This is quirky, sweet but slightly unsettling story about doing something that you love, and the traps one falls into when the the easy path is all too tempting.

"For an old man like Yoshiro, time after death no longer existed. The aged could not die; along with the gift of everlasting life, they were burdened with the terrible task of watching their great grandchildren die."

In a future where the "fixed" facts of life we take for granted now have all changed, countries have isolated themselves and nature has become contaminated, Yoshiro is just trying to live a quiet life with his great grandson, Mumei, hoping he survives another season.

Tawada's writing is enchanting, conjuring vivid images of this new Japan, and making the heart ache somewhat for the state the world has found itself in. But there is a quiet hope here, that even in a newly hostile world there still exists a fragile humanity. Compelling, and guaranteed to resonate past the last page.

Kitchen tells two stories of how two women grieve after great losses and the role other people play in their survival.

Yoshimoto's masterful writing depicts family, love and trans-sexuality through the devastating and transformative lens of grief in such a natural way that though heart-breaking it fills you with hope. Magnificent.